With Hillary out of the lineup at the DNC’s fall meeting in suburban D.C. due to the ongoing drama in New Hampshire, Obama and Edwards were left as the only frontrunners to deliver remarks at the big event.

Edwards’ speech was nothing remarkable, hinting on his populist stances and “One America” theme while taking veiled shots at what he sees as “Washington insiders” hijacking the Democratic Party - Hillary and Obama (mostly HRC…).

“You have a choice in this election. You have to decide what kind of person you want as your next president. Do you want someone who is going to pretend that (a) wall around Washington isn’t there, or defend the people who helped build it? Or do you want someone who is going to lead with conviction and tell you the truth, and have a little backbone? Do you want someone who is going to hope that the people who spent millions of dollars and decades building that wall, and have billions more invested in keeping it up, are going to be willing to compromise, to take it down voluntarily? Or do you want someone who is going to stand up to those people and fight for your interests, when the chips are down, when your backs are against the wall, every single day?

Not quite stirring stuff, but it was well received at the meeting.

Obama, on the other hand, was given a chance to impress the crowd anxious over Hillary’s absence and he didn’t fail to deliver.  His style of mild jabs at a nameless HRC won over the antsy crowd of Dem insiders.

For so long, it seemed that Obama’s attacks on Hillary flew over the heads of his audiences. Using her name in his stump and addressing her personally at debates were watershed moments in his campaign. Today at the DNC fall meeting, again, he did not mention her name. He did not have to. The audience comprised of the party insiders, candidate supporters and political junkies, caught each and every one of his Hillary allusions.

Obama supporters cheered when he said, “And the only mission that was ever accomplished was to use fear and falsehood to take this country into a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged.” People fidgeted when he used the word “triangulation.” And gasps were audible when Obama said, “I’m running for president because I’m sick and tired of Democrats thinking that the only way to look tough on national security is by talking and acting and voting like George Bush Republicans.”

Problem is, his preferred language (besides that stunning last bit mentioning “Democrats” in the same vein as “George Bush.” We all get that.) doesn’t transfer well to the campaign stump. So maybe his entire speech didn’t matter a bit to real voters. Oh, well.

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